Q: What’s one of your recent career highlights?
A: It would have to be when Vaughn Richtor joined our board as chairman last year. This was a highlight for me as it provided a proof point that RateSetter was gaining traction and credibility in Australia. Vaughn founded ING in Australia and grew it to have the fifth-largest loan book, primarily by focusing on building the broker channel. Having him on board provided me with reassurance that we could tackle our next stage of growth, especially the broker channel, with real confidence.

Q: If you won $1m, what would you do with it?
A: It might sound like I’m obsessed with my business, but I’d likely invest in our lending platform, where returns of over 9% per annum can be earned. I’d likely also want to allocate some to the equity of our business, as I’m confident of the growth we are going to achieve over the coming years, especially as Australia enters the open banking era and we deepen our relationships with brokers.

Q: What was your first job?
A: I started my career on the FX trading desk at the Bank of New Zealand, a subsidiary of NAB based in Wellington. I made some good friends and learned a lot working in a trading environment, although I quickly learned I preferred building businesses to trading, and that I like the sun and beaches over wind and rain!

Q: If you had the MFAA’s CEO over for dinner, what would you serve?
A: I know Mike loves his fishing, so fish would be the dish. Being a native Kiwi, I’d likely choose New Zealand snapper, with a solid bottle of Kiwi wine (or several) to complement it.

Q: What are your top survival tips for working in finance?
A: Operating with honesty, integrity and transparency is critical in finance, for both individuals and businesses. We have the privilege of helping consumers with their finances, which is a significant responsibility. Anything short of the highest standards shouldn’t be tolerated. I’d also suggest that to survive and prosper you must work in a business that offers the consumer real value, which may be an alternative to the status quo.